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Seed potatoes

CitygirlCitygirl Posts: 23
in Fruit & veg
Hello!
Last year I grew a few different varieties of potato, but actually, we didn't harvest a lot of them as we had too many (and my family doesn't particularly love potatoes, I learned!).  So many are still in their grow bags.
I'd like to have a small crop of potatoes next year (1-2 grow bags) but I'm not going to buy seed potato as you just get too many in a pack and I'll be moving home during the growing season.
So I'm wondering if the unharvested potatoes can be used as seed potatoes for this year's crop?  And if so is there anything I need to do to them?  I know there's warnings about disease from uncertified seed potatoes but I don't particularly care if I lose the crop.

Many thanks!

Posts

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I grow potatoes in the open ground and no matter how diligently I harvest them I miss a few which remain in the ground and grow again the following year, some of these (volunteer) potatoes grow and yield a crop. If your potato grow bags haven't dried out or suffered frost damage they may well crop again this year.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Potatoes in open ground a susceptible to a number of diseases, but in growbags you may well get away with it for an extra season. They will have used up all the food so you will need to put in a good slow release balanced  fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or similar.  Better still take some of the tubers out & plant  in a fresh bag.
    AB Still learning

  • CitygirlCitygirl Posts: 23
    Thank you Barry island and Allotment boy!!!
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    If you google 'potato days' you may find one in your area - you can buy individual seed potatoes rather than a whole bagful. Good Garden centres also do this. You may get better strains with fewer diseases than if you regrow the old ones.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • CitygirlCitygirl Posts: 23
    Hey thanks raisingirl, thats awesome! Unfortunately they don’t seem to have one near me. But I wonder if there’s something similar for onion and garlic?  Again I always find I waste half the packet. ☹️
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    if I google 'seed potatoes - [name of my nearest town]' one of my local garden centres pops up, which sells seed potatoes loose and yes, also sells onion sets loose as well. I'm not sure on garlic - I usually buy two bulbs, plant a few of the fattest cloves and eat the rest  :)
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • CitygirlCitygirl Posts: 23
    Thanks!
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